Winner Take All
by RobinRocks
Summary: RobinxCyborg slash. It would seem that Cyborg's late night visit to Robin's room has a far more intimate intention this time. Poor Cy's just forgotten what a fully human body feels like... 2 chapters. Taken from the Season 2 episode WTA.
1. Winner Take All: Part I

…And my dismal "Cy-fic Revolution" plays on and on…

I did _Flaws_ – a Cyborg-centric one-shot from Robin's P.O.V – got the grand total of six reviews for it, and heard nothing else. Well, I can't _make_ people love Cyborg; and perhaps _Flaws_ was, admittedly, quite boring. It wasn't really about… well, _anything_… It was basically; _blahblahblah_ Cyborg, _blahblahblah_ Cyborg, Cyborg _blahblahblah_…

So I won't put you through that again; Robin spouting a monologue about why Cy is such a valuable member of the team.

_Oh_ no.

I'm trying a _different_ tack this time.

I've only ever found one other RobinxCyborg slash fic on here; it's called _Learn_ by Icarus Was Pushed – it's six lines long and very good, although very stylized. It's probably not everyone's thing. And there's another one which I quite like called _Pettins_; it's not actually slash, but I think that was its original intention. It's good, but complicated to understand. It's not unlike _Flaws_ in the way that it doesn't seem to really be _about_ anything.

Anyway…

Share the love, people! Cyborg is awesome!

A short two-part re-write of Season Two episode _Winner Take All_, hence its "original" title…

Winner Take All: Pt I

It had started as a simple card game. Just the five of them; another casual day at Titans Tower. Terra, the new sixth member of their team, had not deigned to join them in their game.

So they had played.

Robin had won.

Until Cyborg had trumped him. Beaten him with that "one-in-a-million wild card that defeated all others".

Winner take all.

The Boy Wonder had _not_ been best pleased.

And then, just as he had heatedly demanded a rematch, they had been summoned by the Master of Games to _here_; an alternate dimension, presumably.

More games to compete in. To win.

Robin and Cyborg had both won their matches, along with Robin's newfound friend/clone Speedy and Wildebeest. Beast Boy had lost his, and had subsequently "vanished" from the game.

The Master had promised sincerely that the losers had been returned home safely, and that had been a satisfactory enough answer for Robin. As much as he wished for Beast Boy's safety, his main goal now was winning this competition; the Tournament of Heroes. To win would be to be crowned the Champion of Champions. The greatest of all young heroes.

_Stick **that**, Cyborg…_

Those were the pleasantries that littered his mind as he slept on his back on top of the bed with which he had been provided. The rooms were little and dark, and they had each been forbidden to leave their quarters during the night. Which was ok with Robin; he was tired anyway and needed to recharge for tomorrow's victory. He was sprawled on top of the covers, fully clothed, one hand flat on his stomach; his other arm was draped across his forehead, as though he was acting _Romeo and Juliet_ in his sleep…

"Yo, Robin! Wake up! It's me!"

Cyborg's distracted voice, raised as loud as he dared, rang through his door, rousing him from his comfortable slumber. Disgruntled, Robin sat up, rubbing at his hair and messing it up even more. Cyborg knocked at his door again and he slid off the bed and drowsily made his way over to it, opening it with a yawn. It took a second or two for him to process that Cyborg was standing there right outside his door, his voice dropped to a low frantic tone.

"Cyborg?" Robin murmured sleepily, blinking blearily at him. "It's late. And I don't think we're supposed to be out of our-"

"Can't sleep," Cyborg interrupted him. He raised his metallic forearm, the glass panel showing _BUSY_ in crimson lettering across it. "I tried calling home to make sure Beast Boy's okay, but I can't get a signal through…"

Robin smiled sleepily again.

"We're in an alternate dimension; kind of outside your calling plan."

"Um…" Cyborg seemed floored.

"I'm sure he's fine," Robin rattled on, eager to get back to bed. "The Master said all the losers were sent home, safe and sound."

"Yeah, I know," Cyborg agreed with a nod. He looked around a little, seeming wary. "But I've just got a bad feeling. There's something weird about this game…"

Robin seemed to perk up a little at the mention of a conspiracy theory. With a flick of his green-gloved hand he neatened up his black hair and stepped out into the hallway.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to have a look around," he said decisively.

Cyborg nodded and Robin walked ahead a few steps.

And then he stopped dead, his entire body freezing up, his arms rigid at his sides.

"Hold on…" He looked over his shoulder at his team-mate, his masked eyes narrowed suspiciously. "_I_ know what you're doing…"

Cyborg blinked in surprise, thrown.

"What am I doing?" He asked, his tone a puzzled one.

Robin turned to him fully, his expression still one of great suspicion.

"You're trying to trick me again," he accused, "like you did in the card game."

Cyborg's brow creased into a perplexed frown.

"I am?"

"Sure," Robin affirmed, his tone slightly malicious now. "We'll go "investigate", and be up _all_ night, and find nothing. Then you'll recharge your batteries in fifteen minutes while _I_ get no sleep."

Cyborg was aghast at the accusation.

"Say _what?"_

Robin raised his chin slightly in defiance – or perhaps it was just impertinence; Cyborg couldn't tell – as he continued;

"When Round Two starts, _I'll_ be fighting fatigue, and you'll be _that_ much closer to winning the prize."

Irritated by his competitive friend, Cyborg felt his temper rise slightly.

"No, man, for real! I'm just worried about BB…"

Robin's mouth twisted in a nasty little smirk.

"_Come on_," Cyborg fumed; Robin could really try his patience at times.

And that smirk was _so infuriating_; Cyborg really hated to see that arrogant expression on the younger boy's face. It made his entire round, pale face a smug target that Cyborg often itched to punch. And even as another guy he could admit that Robin was nice-looking, and that smirk somehow… It distorted his features, certainly, but somehow made him even…

…_more_ handsome. In a really weird, horrible way.

Which made it all the _more_ irritating.

Cyborg shivered and got his bearings, looking down at the younger teenager with a hard look in his single human eye.

"Winning isn't-"

"_Riiiiight_," Robin interrupted, beginning to back through his door. He attempted to close it in Cyborg's face – oh, how the half-robot wanted to smack him one – but Cyborg stuck his large metal-encased foot in the gap, stopping it.

Robin's expression flattened out, his smirk dropping to a tight line.

"_Cyborg_." He kicked slightly at Cyborg's foot, not hurting him the slightest; well, he _couldn't_. Cyborg was… _metal_… "Cyborg, I want to _sleep_. I'm _tired_."

"Your scheming little beauty nap can _wait_, Robin," Cyborg replied icily. "I am _not_ trying to sabotage you, for petesakes!"

Robin snorted, looking up at him again.

"Then just _accept_ what the Master told us," he said, his voice sounding weary now. "Beast Boy is _fine_, Cyborg. I bet he's on the Gamestation right now, trashing our high scores."

Cyborg's dark face creased into a frown again.

"You're probably right, but…"

"Of course I'm right." Robin leaned against the edge of his door, a sleepy smile on his face. "What do you _think_ the Master did with him? _Ate_ him?"

Cyborg smiled grimly.

"It wouldn't surprise me…"

"What?"

"Nothing…" Cyborg pressed a button on his forearm, studying the panel intently again. Robin watched drowsily as the word _BUSY_ flashed up again.

Cyborg looked up at him once again.

"Look, let me try one more time," he said. "Can I try linking it up to your communicator? I might get a better feed…"

Robin groaned under his breath and rubbed at his forehead.

"Cyborg, _please_, can't it wait until morning?"

"_No!_" Cyborg was beginning to lose his temper for real now. "For god's sake, Robin, just give me your damn communicator! I wanna check on BB, and I'm also sure the girls will be worried about us. I'm sure Beast Boy wasn't too informative; he tends not to be able to verbally communicate very well when he's on the Gamestation. That's _if_ he even got home."

Robin sighed and leaned one arm against the doorframe, propping his tired form up against it, as he went to the back of his belt with his other hand. He felt around for a bit; then sighed again, dipping his head in a show of disconcertment.

Cyborg's stomach gave an unpleasant lurch.

"Don't tell me you don't have it…"

Robin looked up, his lips pursed in irritation.

"Of course I have it," he replied snippily. "I _always_ have it. I just forgot I took it off my belt." He leaned back away from the door, one hand still gripping the frame. "It's on the floor in there somewhere…" He gestured vaguely with his free hand. "It was digging into me," he explained, looking back at Cyborg.

"Well, could you go get it?" Cyborg asked, although it was really more of a statement.

He felt as though he was talking to a child; true, Robin was younger than him, but only by a few years. And although he certainly wasn't stupid – who was he kidding? Robin was freakin' Smart Aleck of the Year Award Winner. And _several-time_ winner, at that – Cyborg sometimes got the feeling that the brain was shutting down under that shining crown of spiky jet black hair. As smart as he was – and Robin _was very_ _smart_ – the Boy Wonder could also be unbelievably slow at times too.

He was being slow on the uptake now.

"Well, I…" Robin seemed confused, leaning back into his room again. "I suppose I…" He looked at Cyborg once again, looking bewildered. "Maybe you should come in, then…"

He opened the door fully and stepped back against it, allowing Cyborg's large frame to enter. Once his friend was in the room he quickly shut the door again; paranoid now that they would be caught sneaking into each other's rooms and disqualified from the competition.

"Yikes, it's dark in here…" Cyborg flipped up his built-in torch from his left shoulder-plate.

"Yeah, that's 'cause I was asleep, Cy…" Robin shielded his eyes from the unwelcome glare of the torch as he made his way across the room in search of his discarded T-communicator.

Cyborg shone the torch around to help him, following him slowly across the floor.

"There it is!"

"Yeah…"

Robin scooped it up off the floor and tossed it to Cyborg, who deftly caught it in one large metal hand. The half-robot wasted no time in flipping it open and rewiring it to his own built-in communication system.

Meanwhile, Robin could feel his tiredness beginning to catch up with him all over again, and he found his way back to the bed and sat down on the edge. When even _that_ became too much effort, he flopped onto his side and curled his legs up onto the mattress too, linking his hands together comfortably at chest-level. He idly watched Cyborg attempt to make a call to Titans Tower one more time for a while, and then finally his eyes slid closed against his will and before long he was asleep once again.

With a sigh, Cyborg snapped the communicator shut and held it tight in his metal palm. The wires folded back into his arm and the glass casing snapped back into place.

"Didn't work," he said, looking up and shining his torch around again. The beam ran over Robin's curled up form on his bed and Cyborg frowned, wondering if he was asleep or not.

"Robin?"

When the boy didn't answer, Cyborg approached him, the beam narrowing the closer he got.

Yeah, Cyborg could see now that the Titans' leader was fast asleep, curled comfortably on his side, his cape fanning out behind him like wings. One heavy-booted foot was hooked neatly over the other and his gloved hands were clasped together, as though beseeching in the face of decadence even in his sleep. A crime-fighter through and through was Robin. Well, he'd been trained by the most professional costumed vigilante of all; it figured.

Cyborg himself had never met Batman; nor had he ever actually seen him in person, even in all the times he had been in Gotham City. Many believed him to be little more than an urban myth, designed to frighten criminals, like scary stories to make little kids go to bed. But Cyborg knew that Batman was real, even though he had never had any first-hand visual proof; the Dark Knight's ex-sidekick was lying asleep on the bed in front of him.

Proof enough?

And because of that, Cyborg knew where Robin got a lot of his personality traits from. That infuriating, irritating, ambitious drive to win constantly. The know-it-all attitude. The fighting expertise. The way of folding his arms, of narrowing his eyes, the smirk, the arrogance, the determinedness, the ruthlessness he sometimes showed… It all came from Batman. Robin was his sidekick; his apprentice, his protégé. Everything Robin knew had been taught to him by Batman. Of all five Titans, only _Robin_ was the _true_ superhero among them. The true masked vigilante. The true detective.

Only _he_ knew what he was doing – _really_ – and that was why the rest of them followed his lead.

Because he _knew_.

He had been trained by the best.

And in terms of his _own_ field of expertise, Robin _was_ the best.

Robin the Boy Wonder.

And he knew that too.

Cyborg sank to a crouch beside the bed, watching the small boy breathe rhythmically. Just watching him was beginning to fascinate the older teen somewhat.

Because aside from being the only one on the team who was actually a proper superhero – not a superpowered tag-along like the rest of them were – Robin was also the only one who was fully human. One hundred per cent human.

_Normal_.

Cyborg could barely remember what that felt like.

Cyborg had very little of his real, original body left. Only part of his face, neck and his upper arms were still that smooth, silky chocolate color; his _real_ skin.

The others all had their real skin. But Robin fascinated him the most; he always had.

Because the others weren't normal. Beast Boy was green and slightly furry. Starfire's skin glowed with an unearthly golden tan; it was beautiful, and it suited her very much, but it wasn't _normal_ in Cyborg's books. And Raven was… well, so pale she looked almost _gray_.

And then there was Robin. Normal. Human. Caucasian, where Cyborg himself was obviously much darker, but they were alike just the same.

They weren't _green_. Or orange. Or gray.

And the hair. Robin had shining ebony hair, fine and silky and grown into long layers that framed his pale face when he had just washed it and hadn't yet gelled it back into his trademark crown of spikes.

Cyborg had had black hair too. Once. Before his accident.

And the eyes. Blue. Cyborg's one remaining eye was clear icy blue. He had never seen Robin's eyes – always hidden behind that mask – but he knew they were blue too. Robin had told him once, one time they were just sitting talking together. It had slipped out accidentally; Cyborg had been able to tell that it was one thing Robin hadn't intended to tell him. His pale cheeks had flushed with pink and he had cleared his throat and looked away. Fidgeted with the broken birdarang that had been on the table. The conversation had drifted; they had talked of other pointless things. The T-car. _Super Ninja Fury_. Cyborg's latest-planned prank on poor hapless Beast Boy.

But Robin hadn't been truly comfortable again that day. Cyborg had known it; Robin felt that he had said too much.

Too much about _what?_

Had he felt Cyborg had gained something over him? Gotten a weapon from his careless speech? Something to beat him with?

_Winner take all…_

Cyborg would never do that. He cared for Robin too much to want to hurt him, however much he annoyed him. Besides, his anger now at Robin had faded. Cyborg never stayed angry at anyone for very long.

And merely knowledge of Robin's eye-color was no weapon, in truth.

Robin shifted slightly; squirmed. Overwhelmed with a sudden… strange feeling… Cyborg felt the urge to touch him. To feel his warm soft skin beneath his cold steel fingers, alive with artificial nerve endings.

He fingertips brushed Robin's arm; his skin visible between the emerald sleeve of his crimson shirt, and the pointed edge of his glove. Robin squirmed again; he was a light sleeper, and could feel the touches, even if he could not comprehend them. He rolled over slightly, ending up on his stomach, his cape spreading a black sheet that obscured him from his shoulders right down to the backs of his upper thighs. One hand remained underneath him, pressing against his flat stomach, while his other moved to his forehead again, using it like a pillow as he lay face down on the mattress.

Cyborg's mouth suddenly felt very dry. Watching Robin sleep made him feel… _weird_… It made him want to touch him. To feel him; feel his warm skin. Feel his humanness. Cyborg had not been in another's warm embrace since like, _forever_…

Not that he… not that he _wanted_ Robin like that. But he wanted to touch him even so. Like a child with a forbidden "don't-touch-that-_ever_" porcelain doll on a shelf. He wanted to because he knew he shouldn't. Because he _couldn't_.

Because it was _wrong_ of him to think like this. Robin was another _boy_; he was the _leader_; he was _asleep_, so technically Cyborg was committing voyeurism – of sorts – upon him; and just… _everything_. Robin was _not_ like him. Even if there was a homosexuality about it, Robin would _never_…

Cyborg shivered and looked miserably down at his metal hands. How could anyone – not even _Robin_, but _anyone_ – ever love him? Ever want to touch him, and be touched in return? Touched by cold, metal, unfeeling hands. No, not _un_feeling; _artificially_-feeling. Cyborg could _feel_ things, but not… not in that same sensual way. The technology sent a message to his brain about the feel and temperature of something – just like a real nervous system – but it wasn't the same.

Not really.

Robin was so perfect in contrast to him. He would never want _him_; not when he could have Starfire. When he could have _any_ girl he wanted.

Any _boy_ he wanted, if he liked.

But he still _ached_ to touch him.

So he dared; he hoped that Robin didn't wake up. Because he would not know how to explain. He would not know what to say, how to justify himself. He would not know how to make his friend _understand_.

He started at the back of his neck, just running his hand lightly down Robin's spine. Following the curve of it right between his shoulder blades and down into the dip of the small of his back. His fingers trailed over the bump of Robin's utility belt and then, before he even realized it, Cyborg had his hand on Robin's ass. He tensed, biting at his bottom lip.

_Whoa. I have my hand on Robin's butt. You've either gotta be real privileged to have your hand on Robin's ass; or he's gotta be asleep, like he is now…_

It was really tight. That was all Cyborg could think; mortified and annoyed at himself, but thinking it all the same. He had a really great butt. Cyborg had always suspected that, whenever he caught a green glimpse of it when Robin's cape was flying behind him the midst of a fray; but now he could _feel_ it. Little and smooth and – _whoa_ – _really_ tight.

Cyborg thought of his own cold metal body and felt very depressed. No wonder the fan-girls were always swooning over Robin. No wonder they never looked at _him_.

He made the mistake of giving Robin a quick, almost-absent little squeeze, and Robin snapped awake. Cyborg snatched his metal hand back, red creeping up his dark face.

_Okay. Bad._

_**Really** bad…_

* * *

Mwa ha ha ha ha_…_ Ah, it's so silly… this isn't actually supposed to be serious, by the way. I mean, Robin and Cy _talk_ seriously – it's not one whole big joke, and there is some sad "Cy-not-being-really-human-anymore" stuff in there – but the actual story itself is something of a spoof. How hilarious Season Two would have turned had they done something like _this_ instead…

_Cackle…_

Another chapter whenever I finish this thing. Maybe tomorrow, maybe not… It was originally supposed to be one whole thing – literally just a one-shot – but it was getting too long, so I cut it in half and now I just need to finish it off. The "second chapter", as it were. Don't be traumatized; it's only my sick little idea of a joke… And I couldn't be bothered to proof-read it so sorry for any mistakes; I did it at two in the morning after coming back from a pirate murder mystery party which was actually much better than I thought it would be… Although why it was a _pirate_ murder mystery is beyond me…

Anyway…

_Cy-borg! Cy-borg! Cy-borg!…_

(Repeat as necessary…)

- RobinRocks x


	2. Winner Take All: Part II

Well, you know, I guess this is it. Have to say I'm sorta disappointed by the response.

Guess Cyborg is destined to be unpopular forever more. I thought perhaps slash might be better received but the other two CyxRob one-shots I mentioned beforehand – _Pettins_ and _Learn_ – also got a limited response. Don't know WHY no-one likes Cy but it seems to be something I cannot change. Setsuna Mudo proved a point, however, by saying that one of the reasons is the difficulty of doing Cyborg-related intimacy.

I agree with _that_, at least.

Second half now; hope you "all" like it.

And to the person who said I stole this from the "episode where there (wrong "they're", I might add…) in that place with the King of Games", _three_ things: It's the "Master" of Games, not the "King" of Games; yes, I _know_ I took it from the episode, I _did_ say that right at the start, and the fic _is_ called _Winner Take All_, isn't it?; and third… Okay, well, it's your misfortune to catch me in a very intolerant mood, but your pen-name, _Teen Titians fan 101_… You even spelt "Titan" wrong, honey. And it's not a hard word to spell. In fact, the ending sequence of the show even verbally _spells it out…_

Sorry about that. To the rest of you; enjoy!

Winner Take All: Part II

Robin rolled over and sat up abruptly, his eyes wide.

Embarrassed, Cyborg stood up quickly, putting his bad roaming hand behind his back.

"Cyborg?" Robin shook himself completely awake, frowning at his half-robotic friend. "What are you…? Did I fall asleep?"

Cyborg shifted uncomfortably.

"Yeah…"

"Did you get through to the Tower?"

Cyborg looked up, startled even though Robin's words had not been in any way accusing.

"What? Oh, I, uh… no. No, I didn't…"

Robin quirked an eyebrow at his friend's strange behavior.

"You okay, Cy?"

"Yeah, sure…" Cyborg bit his lip after those airy words. "Listen, I'm gonna go back to my room now… you know, sleep an' all that…"

He thumbed vaguely in the direction of the door, and then backed away and turned, striding awkwardly towards it.

"What, you're just gonna walk out?"

Cyborg's metal hand froze on the handle. He slowly turned back to Robin, who was sitting perched on the edge of his bed with all the haughtiness and intelligence of the fiery little bird he was named after.

_Oh god; he knows…_

"What do you mean?" Cyborg tried to sound casual and curious.

And failed.

"You had your hand on my ass, Cy." Robin's masked eyes squinched a little more as he said it.

Cyborg looked at the floor.

"Robin, I… I'm really sorry, man… I thought you were asleep, I just… I don't know what I…"

"_You thought I was asleep?_" Robin's voice was hard as diamonds. "Cy, that makes it even _worse_, not _better_."

"I know, I… Robin, what can I _say?_" Cyborg's voice was pleading; desperately sorry. "I'm sorry, I _never_ should have touched you. For _any_ reason whatsoever. I'm so, so sorry…"

Robin seemed to tense slightly; he certainly straightened up.

But he did not fly off the handle as Cyborg had expected. He didn't shout and scream about it. He seemed quite calm, on the contrary. As though it was a usual thing for him to wake up at the sensation of his best friend/team-mate grabbing at his ass. He was silent for a while, his brow furrowed; then he patted the bed beside him.

Said nothing. It was an unspoken invitation.

One which Cyborg took. He crossed the room again and sat next to his small, dark-haired friend.

For a while there was silence between them; Robin's gloved hands were folded in his green lap and he gazed intently down at them.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" Cyborg's words were more a statement than a question.

More silence.

"Actually, no," Robin replied finally, looking up at him, studying him the light of the torch. "I'm not, Cy. I _should_ be, because what you did was… you _shouldn't_ have done it. I was _asleep_; you shouldn't have touched me. It's kind of…"

"Pervy," Cyborg finished heavily.

"Yeah." Robin actually smiled faintly. "But I don't hate you for it, Cy, and I'm not angry at you. I don't know _why_, but I'm not. I'm… I'm just _not_."

Cyborg blinked.

"_Why?_" Would _he_ be angry, if the roles would be reversed?

Not that Robin ever _would_ touch him in his sleep. Who would want to feel up the metal man? You'd get the same sensation feeling up a _fridge_…

Another awkward silence.

Finally;

"Because I _like_ you, Cy." Robin's voice was very quiet, but Cyborg had enhanced hearing; he caught it just fine.

He blinked and stared at Robin, who was focusing intently on his lap again.

"You _what?_"

Robin sighed heavily.

"You heard me. I _like_ you." He looked up again, suddenly looking so young and vulnerable Cyborg was quite alarmed. "I've always liked you. But I… I never said, because… I figured it would screw things up…"

He flushed pink suddenly.

"That is…" He cleared his throat, embarrassed. "If you… sorry, that was very arrogant of me… I mean, that if you ever… if you liked me _back_. Which you probably _don't_, so…"

Cyborg couldn't believe what he was hearing. He shook his head violently; surely he was imagining this? It had been kind of a wacky day already, and he was tired, too… He was dreaming, right? He _had_ to be. This stuff suddenly coming from _Robin's_ mouth… he couldn't comprehend it. It wasn't _right_.

"No, Robin, I…" Cyborg put his head in his metal hands. "Oh, god, I just… I really like you, I _really_ do… Come _on_, man; I was _groping_ your _butt_. Of _course_ I like you. I guess I just realized it, but I _really like_ you…"

Robin smiled, reaching for his metal arm.

"_But…_"

Robin's smile faded and he recoiled his hand as he heard that one traitorous word. The terrible contrasting conjunction, and the emphasis Cyborg stressed on it as it left his lips, that could only mean one thing.

_No way, Wonder Boy. It ain't happening…_

Cyborg sighed.

"…Robin, it would never work. You and I are just too… different…"

Robin scowled resentfully.

"I hope you aren't talking about skin color, Cy," he said reproachfully. "Because you know that doesn't matter. You _know_ that."

"Oh, Robin, _no_," Cyborg replied heavily. "No, I _do_ know that. That it doesn't matter. We live in modern America; no, I _know_ it makes no difference. We're all the same in society."

"Then what _is_ the problem?" Robin asked sulkily.

"It's just…" Cyborg stood up again, turning away from his friend. "It's…"

"It's _what?_"

"It's _me_, Robin!" Cyborg burst out, whipping around to face the other boy. "_Look_ at me! I'm a _freak!_ A soddin' half-_robot!_"

Robin gazed at him, gobsmacked and aghast.

"Cyborg, you _aren't_ a _freak_." Robin's voice wavered as he said it, as though he was on the verge of tears. "_How_ can you say that about yourself? _How?_"

"_Look_ at me, Robin!" Cyborg snapped. "You aren't _stupid_, man! You aren't _blind_. Just _look_ at me! And then look at yourself. No matter what you say, we _aren't_ the same. It would never work. I'm too big, too awkward… I could _hurt_ you, man, and I don't wanna do that."

"Cy, it would be _fine_," Robin argued. "Seriously, it would be okay. It _will_ be okay." He stood too. "I _promise_ that, Cyborg."

He clutched at Cyborg's metal-encased forearm, looking up at him. Cyborg stiffened at his touch but still Robin clung to him.

"How can you like me, man?" He asked softly, not looking at the younger boy. "I'm nothing to look at. I'm not even _normal_. I used to be like you, Robin, but now I'm not; not anymore."

"I know that, Cy. I don't care. I don't like people for how they look. Your appearance means nothing to me. I like you for who you are. You're my best friend, but… I don't know, recently, I've just felt something _more_. I can't explain it. I _need_ you, Cyborg, and it's not because of how you _look_. It's just… _you_. You steady me, you help me… I _love_ you, Cy, and I _want_ you, and I don't care what kind of hands you touch me with; whether they're metal or they're flesh. As long as they're _yours_, I don't care."

Cyborg looked at him and smiled.

And then;

"What about Star?"

Robin's own smile tempered somewhat.

"I don't know. She's not my girlfriend, if that's what you mean."

"No, I mean… she likes you. She'd be devastated to find out that you don't like her in return; and that's just _without_ telling her you're… um…"

"Gay?" Robin wrinkled his nose. "You know, I'm not actually sure if I _am_. But I want _you_, Cy, and you're a guy, so I guess…"

"And Starfire?"

"I'll have to tell her." The Boy Wonder sighed, gripping Cyborg's arm. "I really like her and everything, and I still think she's pretty. No, she's _beautiful_, Cy, but… I thought I loved her. But I don't. Or maybe I _did_, but it's gone. I think it was just a crush. Whatever it was, it's gone. Star's my friend, and I love her, but not in _that_ way. Not anymore."

Cyborg nodded, his expression grim.

"So what are you gonna do, man?"

"I'll work something out. Don't worry about it."

"Not about _Starfire_." Cyborg sighed, gripping Robin's thin upper arms. "I mean _us_, man. I mean about _us_. What do you wanna do?"

Robin swallowed.

"What do you mean, "do"?"

Cyborg sighed again.

"Not like _that_. I mean… I mean…" He trailed off in frustration. "I mean _us_, Robin; _literally_. You wanna make a go of it, or do you want me to keep away from you?"

Robin blinked.

"Why would I want _that?_"

"Because… I thought maybe… you don't _want_ this," Cyborg said heavily. "I thought maybe… like, you know, it's another crush. Maybe you _thought_ it was, and I thought maybe you… wanted to see if it passed. Because you said you weren't actually _sure_ if you were…"

"I…" Robin frowned. "I don't know. I suppose… I'm not sure, Cy. It's really hard, I can't…" He looked up at his larger friend, his expression one of adorable confusion. "…I don't know what I _want_."

"Maybe you're bisexual."

Robin quirked an eyebrow at Cyborg's blunt comment.

"Thanks, Cy."

"No kiddin', man. If you can't decide, maybe you really are bi. You said that you did like Star for a bit, so obviously you ain't totally gay, but…"

Robin smiled vaguely.

"Kinda greedy though, isn't it?"

Cyborg grinned.

"Kinda," he agreed.

"What about you? You "bi" too?" Robin imitated the speech-marks sarcastically with his fingers, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet to accentuate it. Cyborg almost laughed. Sometimes Robin was very funny without meaning to be. But it wasn't wise to laugh at Robin; he was notorious for sulking. And he could be kind of scary too, sometimes.

That temper was another thing that had been taught to him by Batman. That manic sudden-snapping of all sanity; he was calm up until a point and then he would just lose it. It was a rare thing, true, but not one Cyborg – or any of the _other_ Titans – liked to see. Many a crook had ended up hospitalized for falling foul of Robin's filthy temper; he was one not best provoked when in a bad mood. It was like poking a black mamba with a stick.

Regardless of which, Cyborg's thought train was digressing, and he quickly shook himself back to his senses. Robin was blinking up at him, his masked eyes wide; his small gloved hands now clutching at one of Cyborg's large metal ones.

"Um… sorry, what?" Cyborg shook his head again apologetically.

"I said are _you_ "bi" too?"

Again with the cute mimicking of the speech-marks. His hands came back to Cyborg's when he was done with his little acting turn.

"Um… I don't know…"

Cyborg floundered hopelessly. He had never been any good at this, even when he had been a normal guy. Chatting up girls – yes, _girls_, then – had never been one of his strongest personality traits. Even though he had been star player of the football team. Of the swim team. Gotham High's ace basketball player. Top of everything when it came to sports. The girls had practically been hanging off his arm, but he had never been any good at _talking_ to them.

Had he ever truly even _liked_ any of them?

_No. No, I didn't. Not really. I went to the prom with that chick, but she ditched me halfway through for that weedy geeky Mervin guy. Why? Because Mervin had tickets to that concert by that band she was obsessed with. Not that I liked her, but I looked a bit stupid being crowned Prom King all by myself, with no Prom Queen next to me. She was out back practically eating poor Mervin alive… All for concert tickets…_

_Robin_ wouldn't have done that. Even when he had been blackmailed by that evil Kitten girl to take her to her junior prom – and even though he had _hated_ her – he hadn't _ditched_ her. Even though Starfire had been there mooning over him, swanning around looking fabulous in that pink dress. Even then.

Had he still liked Star then? Probably. They had danced. Cyborg had never seen Starfire look happier than when she was in Robin's slim, strong arms, leaning against his chest with some difficulty, seeing as she was actually quite a bit taller than him.

And he felt guilty. He couldn't take Robin away from Starfire. She really liked him. It was selfish of him to try to take Robin from her.

So he made that clear to the Boy Wonder.

"But I don't _like_ Starfire anymore!" Robin fumed in reply. "I _did_, Cy, I really _did_. She used to make my heart go crazy whenever she came within ten feet of me – sometimes I used to panic and think I was having a heart attack. Sometimes it was worse than that. Sometimes I used to… She… sometimes I…"

"Say what, man?"

Embarrassed and unable to say it out loud, Robin grimaced and gestured wildly at his crotch.

"Work it out, Cy! Sometimes I used to have to lock myself up in my room just to… Well, I'm sure I don't need to _explain_ it. But then… I don't know, it seems like one morning I just woke and it was gone. I didn't like her anymore. I mean, not sexually. I still like her as friend. I can't explain it, Cy, but I don't want to be with her. She makes me uncomfortable whenever she gets too close to me, but it's no longer in the short-shrinking way. It's just… I don't know, Cyborg, I really don't know…" He took a deep breath. "But I don't want to be with her anymore. I don't want to touch her, or kiss her, or… or _stick it in_, or whatever! I don't want her, Cy, and it's as simple as that. I want _you_, so stop trying to make me feel guilty."

"Even the way I am?"

"Of course!" Robin was getting irritable now. "Cyborg, didn't you learn _anything_ from that battle with Atlas a few weeks back? It doesn't matter; _nothing_ matters but your will to overcome whatever life throws at you. As long as you have the strength to believe in yourself, you'll always succeed."

Cyborg smiled. Robin came out with as many good quips and analogies as he came out with bad corny ones.

Which was quite a lot.

_Holy cupid, Batman! Something weird is happening to me! Gee whiz, I think I'm in love!_

_Not to worry, old chum; I have just the remedy for that…_

Cyborg took a deep breath and suddenly leaned down and gathered Robin's light form into his strong metal arms, clumsily finding his mouth and dominating it. Robin gasped in surprise and then almost choked himself, writhing in Cyborg's grip. Cyborg released him, frowning.

"You okay, man?" He suddenly felt awkward and stupid, and immediately put Robin down. He shifted uncomfortably, wiping off his mouth on his metal wrist as he watched Robin get his breath back. "I'm sorry, man," he mumbled, looking at the dark floor. "Sorry, that was stupid… I never should have… of course you wouldn't want to…"

"No…" Robin looked up at him, his face impassive in the torch-light. "No, Cyborg… of course I want…"

He trailed off, reaching up towards the half-robot like a toddler wanting to be picked up for a hug. Cyborg obliged in the way that the responding parent would, lifting the Boy Wonder up – gentler this time – and holding him squirming against his broad steel-encased chest. He could feel how thin his ribs were, how small and skinny he was in comparison to his own robotically-enhanced athlete's physique. He held him slackly, one hand at his back, the other at his lower thighs, bunching his cape beneath his metal fingers.

Robin's small gloved hands touched either side of Cyborg's dark face as he came closer again.

"You sure you want this, man?" Cyborg rudely broke into his intimate intention and Robin rolled his eyes, irritated.

"Would you _shut up?_"

"But I-"

Robin deliberately – spitefully – dug his fingers in to Cyborg' exposed dark skin as he brought their lips together with force that was so sudden that this time _Cyborg_ was the one to be alarmed by it. He almost dropped Robin, to start with; the smaller boy grasped desperately around the half-robot's neck, clinging to him, his mouth still locked with the other's, until Cyborg got his act together and lifted him against him again. Robin made himself comfortable again, pushing with legs against Cyborg's chest to lift himself to a higher level than the half-robot to kiss downwards. Leading. Dominating.

Cyborg held him covetously and let the ravenous little bird have his fill. Feeling Robin's warm body squirm against him – against his metal hands and arms and torso – was indescribable. For the first time, it seemed, he could truly _feel_. As though his nerves were no longer artificial. As though his hands were truly flesh and blood again. Robin's gloved hands touched his skin – on his face and neck – and made it tingle with sensation.

And his mouth—

So hot and sweet against his own… The younger teen licked at his mouth and then kissed deeper and let his small tongue become quite hurriedly acquainted with Cyborg's own. Cyborg tightened his grip on him, as though suddenly jealous; nobody else would _ever_ be having Robin after this. Not Starfire. Not that newfound clingy Speedy-guy. _Nobody_.

_How_ could he never have noticed this in Robin before? Never noticed the attraction within him, and the attractiveness about him? It didn't make sense to him now; not when he held the Boy Wonder in his arms.

He had Robin in his arms. Kissing him. Touching him. Robin, the team leader. Robin, as in _Batman and Robin_ Robin. _Robin the Boy Wonder_ Robin. Famous – _infamous_, even – in Gotham; heck, Cyborg had heard of Robin before he had ever _met_ him to form the Teen Titans. He was the Teen King of Butt-Kick.

And now Cyborg held him in his arms.

_Kissing him._

He ran his large metal hand through Robin's dark hair; his other sneakily – or not-so-sneakily – groped at the smaller boy's butt as he held him to him. And then Robin broke the kiss, turning his head to the side, purring low in his throat.

"_Mmm_… Cy…"

Cyborg caressed the back of his head, rubbing at his spikes, and Robin moved his head against it like a cat, his eyes closed.

"_Mmm_…"

He purred again, leaning his head back. Then he brought it forward again and put his mouth to Cyborg's cheek; he kissed him there first, lips against smooth chocolate skin. Then he kissed right down the older teen's jaw, licking every now and then, savoring the taste of that cocoa flesh, and leaving a smoldering, tingling trail in his mouth's wake.

This time Cyborg moaned deeply.

"_Ohh_… _Robin… Robbie_…"

"Ssh…"

"_Robin_… stop doing this to me…"

"You started this, Cyborg." Robin sank his teeth into Cyborg's neck; the right side that was just pure, flawless dark skin. No circuits here; no metal.

"_Ah!_" Cyborg let out a surprised little cry, snapping his head back. Robin was really hurting him – biting right into him with his teeth – and he had a suspicion that the other boy had actually broken the skin there. But he liked it, somehow. It was agony, but he _liked_ it…

"Robbie, please… you're gonna leave a mark…"

Robin's head came up again.

"I know."

There was blood on his mouth. Alarmed, Cyborg's metal hand snapped to his neck, clasping over the wound.

"You little— You _bit_ me!"

"I gave you a hicky." Robin wiped his lips off on his gloves.

Cyborg was outraged.

"That was _not_ a hickey, Robin! I mean… _this isn't_ a hicky! For petesakes, you made me _bleed!_"

"My own special brand, Cyborg." Robin's mouth pressed back to the perfect circle of tiny punctures and he began to lick it clean.

Cyborg shivered.

"What, you some kinda _vampire_ now?"

"Oh, yeah…" Robin's tongue lapped at Cyborg's no-longer flawless skin. "A vampire, Cy; a vampire _bat_."

Cyborg tugged him away from where he was leeching at his throat and promptly put him down.

Robin smiled.

"_Mine now_," he murmured. He sounded way too happy.

"Robin, that's _dangerous_."

Robin's expression became very droll. He observed Cyborg boredly for a few seconds. Then;

"You liked it, Cyborg. I felt you shiver when I bit into you. _You liked it_. Because I was _branding_ you, Cy. You've never felt like you _belonged_ anywhere before. Always felt like no-one's ever _wanted_ you. But then I branded you – gave you a hickey – and suddenly you _know_ you're wanted You're wanted on _my_ team, because I _need_ you; and I love you too, and I need you for _other_ reasons, and…_"_

He tugged at the neck of his cape, exposing his own milky-pale skin.

"…Wanna mark _me?_"

OOOOO

Minutes – though it seemed like hours – later, Cyborg took his mouth from Robin's neck to admire his own "hickey". Another perfect ellipse of small crimson punctures.

They were on Robin's bed now, Cyborg pinning the former – and owner of the bed – down. He had been scared of crushing him at first, but Robin was agile and had squirmed into a position in which Cyborg could not crush him even if he had _tried_.

The tight black neck of Robin's cape snapped back to his throat, covering his mark.

Cyborg's metal hand went back to his own "brand".

"What am I gonna do about this? I can't hide it like you can, and it's hardly unnoticeable."

"Trust me, Cyborg…" Robin exhaled deeply, looking up at him. "…You aren't gonna be in that competition tomorrow _long_ enough for anyone _to_ notice…"

Cyborg scowled.

"Is that _all_ that matters to you, Robin? _Seriously?_"

"Winner take all, Cy."

"Yeah, I heard…"

"So take me, then."

Cyborg blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Robin's gaze moved lazily from Cyborg's face to the ceiling and then back again. "Winner take all. And you won. So take your prize. _Take me_."

Cyborg looked blankly at him and Robin sighed in disgust.

"Cyborg, look, I'm _not_ stupid. _You_ seem to be, though…"

And he wriggled out from underneath the larger teen and hopped off the bed, wandering away in a huff.

Feeling stupid despite his earlier declarative.

"Robin!" Cyborg rolled over and sat up.

Robin stopped about halfway across the room.

"What?" He asked icily, not looking back at the half-robot.

"I just… I don't understand-"

"No, Cy, you _don't_, do you?" Robin interrupted angrily, whipping around to face him. His masked eyes were hard and cold as steel. "You act so smart, but you don't seem to understand _anything!_ You can't understand that you're special and important no matter what you look like; just like you can't understand that sometimes it's only my "hyper-competitiveness" that keeps me going. That when I feel all else is lost – that I _can't_ solve a case, that I _can't_ beat a villain – it's only my pride that keeps me standing. You and the others think it's arrogance but it's _not_, Cyborg! It was taught to me by Batman, to just… _never_ give up, _ever!_ Because when you do, everything just… And you _can't_ understand that, Cyborg! I don't know _why_; I don't know _what_ it is, whether it's some chip in the electronic part of your brain that disables it or what, but you _can't_ understand!"

The Boy Wonder took a deep gasping breath, calming himself down as he searched Cyborg's aghast face.

"And I can't…" He rubbed circles on his forehead with the heel of his right hand. "Cy, I just… sometimes I feel like we have so much in common, like we're so much alike. Like now; just then, when we… I could look at you and _see_ myself, I could touch you and _feel_ myself… _You_ were _there_, and _I_ was there, and it was like… I was _in_ you, somehow, and yet somehow still in my _own_ body… And _other_ times… God, Cyborg, sometimes I can't even see how we can get along. We aren't the same. We see things from totally different view-points; sometimes I get the feeling that you just think I'm totally up myself… Sometimes, Cy, and it's terrible, but I feel… sometimes I feel that you aren't even _human_…"

He turned away again, shaking by the fervor of that sudden outburst.

Expecting Cyborg to sweep past him in a sudden show of cold fury and slam the door behind him.

But nothing.

"You know, Robin…" Cyborg's voice was soft, still coming from the bed. "…Sometimes _I_ feel that too, man…"

Robin turned to him, blinking back the burning tears that were gathering unwelcomingly in his eyes.

Somehow he found his way back into the older teen's strong metal arms.

And somehow they found within each other a sorrow. And a joy. A cure for their pain, and a reconciliation for their sins.

Within each other, they found their own sought prize.

Worth.

Value.

_Understanding._

OOOOO

And later still…

"Robbie?"

Cyborg whispered it as he stood over the bed. Within it, Robin slept soundly on his side, naked beneath the sheets that were clutched tightly around his lithe little form.

"Robin?"

"_What?_" Robin moaned, putting his head under the covers.

"I have to go back to my own room. It's almost sun-up."

Robin gave another moan and nodded. The covers shifted with his movement.

"You… you'll be okay, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Okay…" Cyborg straightened up, hovering awkwardly.

Wanting to say something else, but not sure what.

"Robin, I-"

"It's _fine_, Cyborg…"

"No, I… _nothing_. It was nothing anyway…"

Robin sat up, the covers sliding off his head. His jet black hair was tousled; the spikes backcombed beyond all recognition. He was frowning sleepily.

"_What_, Cyborg?"

"Nothing." Cyborg nodded and turned away, making for the door.

He stopped with his hand on the handle, just as he had done the night before.

"Oh, and, uh…" He turned back, smiling vaguely. "…Good luck for today…"

Robin smirked in reply, lying down again.

"Thanks, but I don't need it…"

"And why's that?" Cyborg asked haughtily, leaving as he said it.

Already knowing the answer.

"Winner take all, Cyborg," Robin replied softly, more to himself as he wriggled back into the warmth.

The memory of the night before.

He smiled.

"_Winner take all…_"

* * *

Well, it was a lame ending, I guess, but fun all the same… And yeah, I stepped around the "intimacy" thing too. Depths-of-Passion wanted a lemon but I couldn't write it because I honestly can't see how it _works_. _Literally_. I mean I'm not sure what goes where or how… 

…_ahem_…

You'll just have to use your imaginations.

You know, this fic started out as a bit of a joke, actually; a parody of the actual episode _Winner Take All_. But it ended up – surprisingly – quite serious. It wasn't intended, but I quite like how it turned out. I like serious Robin/Cyborg moments on the show, to be honest. There's something cute and seriously genuine about their friendship.

Which I have now just mutilated…

My "Cy-fic Revolution" is, as of now, officially over. Closed. Kaput. Two fics, from different angles, and neither of them worked.

All hang your heads in shame.

Now; review if you want, all love Cyborg, and don't forget—

I know where you live.

…A sudden flurry of bats would look _so_ impressive right about now…

- RobinRocks xXx


End file.
